


Her Brother, The Demon

by Taimae



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: Character Development, Family, Family Dynamics, Gen, Jerk Hawke, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2019-03-04 18:39:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13370769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taimae/pseuds/Taimae
Summary: They always say that you should never interact with demons. Honestly, sometimes Bethany would prefer them to her brother.(One shot based on a prompt)





	Her Brother, The Demon

**Author's Note:**

> I know I should be working on my ACTUAL fics, but I got this nice prompt from a friend on Tumblr for my Male Mage Hawke. It was a Magic Prompt list and I was given "Natural Talent".

In books, they always say that you should never engage with a demon, let alone seek one out willingly. They were tricky creatures, with mysterious intentions and their pacts almost always lead to trouble, no matter how skilled a mage was. Stay away from them at all times.

But sometimes, desperate times called for desperate measures, right?

A ten-year-old Bethany knocked on the door of her older brother’s room softly, but there was no answer. When she slowly opened the door, she spotted the young mage halfway out the window. As soon as their eyes locked, the young girl could feel her whole body stiffen. Maybe this was a mistake.

“Umm… I thought father said you weren’t allowed out tonight,” she said quietly, still behind the door.

“What Father doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” the boy responded as he smoothly glided over to his younger sister. There was a bit of a wicked grin on his face before he reached down and pinched her on the cheek. She could feel the slight prickle of electricity emanating from in his fingertips. It was one of his favorite things to do.

“And he won’t know _right_?”

Bethany whimpered slightly and then nodded, rubbing her cheek.

“Also, how many times have I told you to knock before entering?” he asked and then crossed his arms, sitting back down on his bed.

Bethany gulped as she slowly made her way inside of his room and closed the door behind her. “I’m sorry… I just… I got nervous and um,” she looked down at what she was holding and started to trail off.

She had this whole proper explanation for him, but as usual, he had a way of throwing her off just by looking at her. Why couldn’t she have a nice, sweet older brother? Even Carver seemed like an angel in comparison to him.  

“Beth, you’re keeping me from a really important snogging session with Maggie Benson behind the chantry, so out with it,” he snapped his fingers in annoyance.

The young girl finally handed Kenyon a large book with a charred cover and burned pages.

“It was an accident…” Bethany said quietly, her fidgeting with her fingers as she watched Kenyon flip through it curiously. She could feel her heart beating hard, as though it wanted to escape out of her chest.

“You burned one of Father’s books? Meaning you tried to use fire magic without his permission?” he grinned. “Oh Bethany, you’re going to be in such trouble if he finds out,”

“P-please don’t tell him!”

“I dunno. This is a pretty big deal,” he closed the book, another smirk appearing on his face. “It would be such an amazing sight to see to have Father disappointed in you for a change. I can picture it now… I wonder if he’ll stop teaching you altogether?” 

“Please, K-Kenyon! You’re the only one I know who can fix it,” she pleaded, her eyes starting to water. She would hate to have her father so cross with her. And to stop teaching her… she still had so much to learn! She couldn’t do it by herself like Kenyon.

“Ugh, please stop crying. It’s gross. Ah, but it’s true though, I’m basically you’re only option, aren’t I?” He placed his chin in the palm of one of his hands. “So what are you offering for my help? My services aren’t free you know,”

“I… I can clean your room! For a whole week!”

“Carver’s already claimed that. I need something better,”

“I can do all of your chores. Clean out the fireplace!”

Kenyon twitched slightly as her offer piqued his interest. “Fireplace and barn for the month and we have a deal. Oh, and anytime a girl in town asks about me, you’re to bat those big, brown eyes of yours and tell them how I’m the best, most caring and most charming brother you have,”

A very unfair trade. But then again, demons were rarely fair.

“Okay, I’ll do it,” Bethany finally responded, still sniffling as she extended her hand.

“Excellent,” he said, shaking her hand firmly before letting go and gripping the book with both hands.

Suddenly, it burst into bright blue flames. Bethany yelped, jumping back a bit. She didn’t want to admit it, but it was an amazing sight. It was nothing like what she had tried. The most she had managed was the size of a match. This was almost as big as the flame in the fireplace. She was always so hesitant with her magic. After all, her father always said it was dangerous and that magic should never rule over man, but the other way around. It often felt like a curse.

But whenever she saw Kenyon, it felt different. He never seemed to feel shame or burdened by the magic that flowed through his veins. If anything, it was quite the opposite; the only time that she would see him genuinely smile was when he was experimenting with different techniques, or reading one of Father’s books that he had stowed away. There was a strong thirst for knowledge, but just not in the way that Father wanted him to have.

Eventually, the blue flames vanished, leaving only the book behind; there wasn’t a burn mark or charcoal smudge on it. He tossed it to his sister. She didn’t know how he managed to do it, but at least her father wouldn’t be furious. Kenyon, demonic as he may be, really was something else.

“Oh, thank you Ken! Thank you so much! You’re the best!” she said, throwing himself on him and hugging him tightly.

“Ew, gross. Get off already,” he sneered, prying his sister’s fingers off before he made his way out of the window again. She could’ve sworn that she saw a sheepish tinge of pink on his cheeks when he turned. “Just keep your end of the deal. And if you really want to practice elemental magic so badly, start with ice. At least that stuff can melt; a little less damage,”

“…Can you teach me?” she couldn’t help but ask. She knew that she shouldn’t. She already made a pact with this demon, she shouldn’t make another. Especially with one as mean as him. He may even ask for more chores, more praise, maybe even her soul! Could brothers ask for souls? She really hoped not.

“You can _watch_ me, and then we’ll see how I’m feeling,”

Bethany’s brown eyes beamed with excitement. That was basically a yes.

And with that, the demon jumped out the window and disappeared into the night.


End file.
